Electric-lamp socket



May. 1, 1923. I

R. B. BENJAMIN .ET AL ELECTRIQ LAMP socxm Filed April 21, 1920 I, V ii-for??? an:

Patented May 1, 1923.

' REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, or CHICAGO, A1\TD PAUL n PHILLIPS, or ELMII nsT ILLINOIS, AssIeNoRs To BEN AMI ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, on CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, A CORPORATION or ILLINoIs.

LECTRI -LAMP socxn'r.

Application filed April 21, 1920 Serial N 375,484. 1

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,and PAUL D. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmhurst,

in the county of Du Page and State'of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in-Electric-Lamp Sockets, 01' which the following "is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification i This invention relates to electric lamp sockets of the type designed to lock the lamp againstsurreptitious removal, and'it relates further to improved means 'for' eifectingatr thorized unlocking of the lamp.

One object of this invention is to provide 2 0 improved locking means in connection with an electric lamp socket whereby. upon application of the lamp tothe socket, the's ame will be simultaneously locked therein.

Another object is to provide'improved detachable unlocking means to retra'ctsaid.

locking means and make possiblethe re moval of the lamp.

Other objects willappear hereinafter. In the drawings: v 1 Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a lamp socket; Fig. 2 is a vertical side elevation of the invention, with the porcelain parts removed;

Fig. 3 is a detail view looking at the bottom of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view looking at the side of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4

In the construction shown, we provide an electric lamp socket comprising the conventional type of base 10 of porcelain or other insulating material, the same having a cap 11 of the same material suitably connected thereto. A center contact 12 is mounted on said cap member 11 for engagestantially centrally thereof to" ac'con1modate a threaded shell'contact 16. I

The locking device, as 'shown'inthis construction, comprises a dog 17 disposed' infa slot 18 formed in the end of a stud 18, saidstud 18 having a threaded cylindrically formed end 19, as seen in Figs.- 1,4 an'd'5.

, Mounted belowthe plate 13,1 and secured thereto by means of the screws 14'," is asubstantially V-shaped bracket or s'iipporting,,

member'20, which is apertured' to receive the stud 18, said stud'also' pa'ssingithrlough an opening 22m ns plate 13.. The dog 17 is positioned in the slot 18in said stud 18, said dog being supported in said stud by the 'conductingplate 13 .(Figil5): 'The points of said slotted stud 18"eXtend"above the con- .70 ducting plate 13 and are bent over toward i 1 each other to hold thedog inplace, as shown in Fig. 5. The inner'end ,of said dog passes through an opening 16' providedin the shell contact 16. Saiddog is limited in itslateral movement in one direction bythe coil' spring 23,-having one end thereof imbedd'ed' in the lower face of said bracketa-s' shown at 24, 'the'other end of said spring 23 engaging a 'lug 25 formed integral with and extending downwardly fromth'e dog 17 1 I The locking operationof an as is'as follows: When thethreaded contact or 'plu'g' portion of a lamp is screwedinto the threaded shell contact 16, it will engage the inner end of the dog 17 and depress the same out of the path of the threaded contact ortion of the lamp against the influence of the spring 23. The latter serves to constantlv press the dog against the adjacent side of the plug portion of the-lamp, so that upon attempted unscrewing ofthe lamp, the inner end of the dog will dig into said plug portion of the lamp and prevent such unscrewing movement thereof whereby the lamp is locked in place and theft or unauthorized removal thereof is prevented.

It is desirous when using locking devices of the-type shown herein that detachable means be provided for unlocking the device, said means being readily attachable and being designed to be carried by a person authorized to remove the lamp.

The preferred form of unlocking means as shown in the drawings'comprises a' key which is formed Of a 1'06. 26 having a covering of insulating material 27, and carrying a ha dle 8 n he end h r o f nipu at ng ,sa k yhe ro 6 i i ternally threaded for a short-distance at the end opposite the handle 28. A recess "29 is formed in the base 10 to afford a pas sage for the insertion of said key for engagement of the threaded end thereof with the threaded end 19 of the stud 18.

With this arrangement, it is only necessary, when unlockingthe device, to insert the threaded end of the key into the recess .29 and screw the same on to the threaded threaded plug orsi de contact portion of the lamp, thereby overcoming any possibility of the point of the dog slipping between the threads which would result in an ineffect ve lock.

The threaded stem 19 of the stud 18 is provided with a left hand thread instead of the o c mm n igh h nd h'radas en ra ly used. This is for the reason that it would be more difiiqult for one who wished to steal the lamp to find a screw threaded object which could beused as a key if a left hand threaded objectwere requiredthan it would be if a right hand threaded object could be used. Furthermore, tools for cutting right hand threads are common in machine shops an i ar p ace 'whfle tools for cutting left hand threads are usually not so readily a ta n e. :Gw equently, he le a thread gives a greater degree of assurance against theft or unauthorized removal of the lamp than would the right hand thread in e ice of th im Having thus described our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secpre by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A m i ekingrso k comprisi a plate, a threaded shell contact mounted on said plate, a second platemounted on said first plate and spaced therefrom, said plates havinali ned hearin o)enin s, a ivotg i H h b pin mounted in said bearing openings, and a dog mounted on said pivot pin for engaging th l p ase.

2. A'lamp locking socket comprising a Pla ta h ea ed shel ont mounted o said pl t a s c d platem unted on said fi st plat and spa ed here om, ai pl te h ng ignedbeeringlop n s th re a p t p mou ed, d bearing pe ngs, and a dog mounted pn said pivot pin for engaging the lamp base, said pivot pin being provided with keyeeugaging means, whereby a may be used to turn said pivot pin to control said dog.

3. A lamp locking socket comprising a plate, a threadedshell contact mountedon said plate, a second plate mounted on said first plateand spaced therefrom, said plates having aligned bearing openings, a pivot pin mounted in sald bearing openings, and

a d gmounted on sa d n t pi r ngaeing the lamp base, said pivot pin havinga e han c ew-th e ed p tio o engaggh cor e po ding por i n o c t le key, by the key may b cr w t t an o aid p vot sin Q' C- l iO m said dog. 1

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subbed our name REUBEN l3. BENJAMIN. FAUL 1.)- BH L IJ 

